Chapter 1: Numb

The high pitched echoes of metal against metal reverberated through the corridors from the various training rooms within Mossad. At the entrance of one of these corridors stood two figures.

"I can not thank you enough Eli." The prime minister for Israel started gratefully.

"For Israel, I would send even a hundred of my best agents, so long as it means keeping our country safe." Eli countered solemnly, There was a threat to his home and he would not tolerate it.

"Just a few will do." The Prime Minister reassured.

Nodding in assent Eli spoke once again. "Come I will show you now, what I have to offer."

Together they both headed further down the corridor. Upon arrival at one of the many doors that were lined along the walls, Eli placed his palm on an electronic pad and after about three seconds a soft noise is heard before the two are granted entry. Entering into the space there's nothing but a large glass window overlooking a semi-crowded training area. Below a mixture of both male and female agents can be seen partaking in both weapon and hand to hand combat. One could feel the electricity in the room charged and ready to suffocate anyone not strong enough to withstand the pressure emanating off the soldiers.

The Minister took a moment to take it all in, as he watched various fights evolve and transform into a great dance of both agility and skill mixed in with raw power. Roving over the scene once more, it was hard for the minister to decide whether or not the feeling building in his stomach was excitement or trepidation.

"Who is that?" His eyes stopped as he caught sight of a woman, slowly circling her opponent, her body taut and gleaming with sweat as she moved with a certain hunger, like a lioness locked onto her prey. There was a look in her eyes, one that much of an all-consuming fire that knew no end.

"That is Mossad's pride and joy, she will be the one to usher in a new generation, one the world will not be able to prepare for."

Eli delivered, his eyes now trained on his daughter.

"Her name is Ziva."

Closing his locker Amir reached for his pack on the bench beside him. He had been hoping to avoid this but it was necessary, the mission presented before him could not be passed over or taken lightly, he, in fact, felt honoured to be chosen but still...He glanced across the room and watched as the woman who so recently managed to completely captivate him in every sense of the word, packed away her things. A small frown marred his face as he observed her place two all too familiar pills in her mouth.

He had been trying for months to convince her that she was better off without them, but still she persisted. Looking at it objectively he could understand her reasoning and even relate but as of late he had been finding it difficult to be objective with matters related to her.

Securing his bag across his back he begun to make his way to her, he would be gone for an unspecified timeframe and he hoped he would be able to have her with him before he had to go. He stopped midstride as he saw his team leader approach her. He cursed silently as he witnessed her take the package that was handed to her before exchanging a few words with his leader. After another moment or so the two separated and with a few more strides he was at her side. Before he was able to say or ask anything however, she turned and addressed him.

"I've been requested to join your team for your next assignment."

"That does not surprise me, however, are you sure you are up for this? Your body still has not recovered as yet and those pills can only take you so far."

"They'll take me as far as I need to go."

"At what cost?"

"Any." The steely-eyed gaze and the usually determined hell-bent expression she always encased herself with always left him feeling a bit ill at ease. Though it was common for any Mossad operative to feel as though nothing should ever stand in the way of their mission. There was a part of him that wanted something different for himself and Ziva. Which made it clear to him that he had well and truly been compromised. When exactly that had happened he wasn't sure. All though he knew that it was pointless to continue he couldn't help but push a little further.

"The pills are poison, they carry a great burden, think about your future."

"Enough Amir." she snapped. "It is what it is, any burden that must be borne I will do alone, you need not concern yourself." She said with finality

"And yet still." he reached for her hand and placed it on his chest. "As long as I have breath I will not leave your side." He used that moment to slowly caress her hand while locking his eyes with her own.

He then watched as her brows furrowed and her mouth formed a thin line, a sign that she was indeed trying to shut him out, yet again.

"Amir you..."

"It's alright, I'll go ahead." He reassured bringing her hand up to his lips and giving it a small kiss before walking away.

"By my calculations, we have a ninety-six-hour window to work with, anytime after that and we will be running on borrowed time." Joshim began giving the team before him a cursory glance before continuing. "Keep in mind the intel that we have is limited so we will be going in blind. All we know is that they will be setting up somewhere in this area and it's critical we find out where and secure a section for our own to occupy."

Joshim reached into his pack and placed a map at the center of the makeshift table, Indicating various points with his finger as he went along.

"Gavi,Omar and Gian will enter from this intersection here leading from Rusayl, Ephraim and Benjamin I've secured passage on a ship for you both, so you will be entering from Al mouj marina. Amir and I will enter from manumah. Ziva will recon this area here, so we will be able to secure it for our own."

Amir listened to Joshim relay their route details and tried to ignore the feeling that something wasn't right and that he should suggest accompanying Ziva, but quickly dismissed that idea, neither Joshim nor Ziva for that matter would agree to that. His eyes slid to the woman in question for a moment, he could tell the pills were wearing on her, she hid it well but he could always tell.

Amir watched Ziva fasten her pack across her stomach and his own did a dip. He continued to watch as she made her way to her transporter and before he could stop himself he called and went to her, his hand circling her forearm firmly holding it in place.

He took her in as if trying to memorize her.

"What is it?" she asked impatiently.

He took a step back and slowly released his hold on her.

"It's nothing, Keep safe."

Her eyes flipped to Joshim's before going back to his own, she held his gaze for a moment before giving him a slight nod and making her exit. He dropped his head, somewhere inside of him was clearly unsettled.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Amir begun sensing his team leaders eyes trained on him.

"That will get you killed."

"Bastard!" Ziva gasped as she fell to the floor clinging to her side, the unrepentant pulses ripped through her, sending small white flashes to her eyes, she tried her hardest to focus and concentrate, taking in deep breaths, it was another minute or so before she was able to see properly. It was dark but she was still able to make out the stone walls and sand covered floors of the terrorist compound.

Turning her head slightly to the side she could see the body of the man that had been able to actually catch her off guard, she had managed to kill the others but had missed him and now she would have to pay for her oversight. Glancing down at her side she could see her shirt now being completely soaked through with her blood, he'd managed to dig his knife fairly deep and much to her chagrin he had actually twisted it.

Pressing more forcefully on the wound she couldn't help the anger and frustration at not being able to kill him a second time. She would have had him begging for death before actually slitting his throat and putting them both out of their misery.

Reaching over she braced herself against one of the walls of the small room. She then tried to stabilize her hold on her wound with one hand, her other arm she used to activate her com links to get a hold of her team leader. Whether she liked it or not she had to report in, her time was almost up.

"Joshim."

"Ziva where are you? We are on a deadline."

"I was ambushed ...I am wounded." she added reluctantly.

With a slight swear directed at her through the links, she could already hear his own frustration as he addressed her.

"If they found you then they've already alerted the others, How are we supposed to finish the mission now?" She could hear the anger beginning to emerge in his voice but she had no time for him, the all too familiar tingling had begun to spread around the wound as well as the coldness that was now currently creeping in.

"I killed them all, I just need to wrap my wounds and I'll re-join you to finish the mission."

"No...you've been compromised and you're hurt, you're a liability now..."

"Even so you still need me."

"I'm sorry Ziva you are on your own, we can't wait or come for you, we'll find another way, shalom."

The com-link went dead.

Dragging out the offending piece of technology she threw it at the opposing wall, then ran a shaky hand through her hair, she knew what this meant, it meant that if she didn't find some way of getting out of here, her wound would be the last thing she had to worry about. In a few hours the area would be filled with the terrorist they were targeting and if they found her she had long ago made up her mind she would never be caught alive. On the other hand, even if she were to get back, Ziva knew that there would be hell to pay. Mossad agents that failed their missions were punished and held in very low regard. She couldn't count on her team to have her back, even if they were able to finish the mission they wouldn't have any time to spare to come and save her. They would have to get to the extraction point and get back to Israel as soon as possible.

She reached into her small field kit gear and felt as her hand bumped into the M62 pill bottle, she hesitated for a moment, lately she'd been experiencing dizzy spells and had thrown up twice within the same week. Amir was right but even so, she failed to report her complications with the pills deeming the results she had been experiencing far outweighed whatever else might be happening to her, besides if she didn't take them she would die. Without another thought, she opened the bottle cap and slipped two of the silver pills inside her mouth. It would take a minute or so for the pills to kick in and when they did she would make her move, but first, she grabbed for the kit and begun her first aid. She would, of course, have to get her wound checked at a later date.

Adrenaline begun to shoot through her veins and the feeling of strength worked its way from her head to her feet. Finishing up her first aid she got to her feet, the pills would allow her to push past the pain and concentrate on her environment, but they wouldn't last long and she wouldn't risk taking any more in her current state. She cleared her head and thought only of the fact that she was stronger than this, She had bled more and had been in worse situations. her father had trained her to face up to her limits and move past them. This is what she had all but sold her soul for, she would do and go anywhere if it meant she would be the best. She had to be. She would not disappoint her father, she would complete her mission and she would return.

Bursting through the door of the old abandon shelter where they had set up their temporary base, Joshim called for his second in command.

"Amir!"

"I'm here." Amir answered making his presence known, one look at his leaders face told him something wasn't right. "What's happened?"

"Some of the men we're hunting have found Ziva, she says she's killed them all but that's not to say they haven't already reported in before they ambushed her." Joshim informed while gathering up their supplies and documents. "We must go quickly and meet up with Gavi and the others since I have the extraction coordinates." He finished off.

"What about Ziva? Let me go for her and I'll meet up with you at a later time."

"No, you are needed here. Ziva knew the consequences before agreeing to accompany us."

"So you're just going to leave her? We need her."

"We'll just have to make due."

"No, we go for her."

Joshim stopped what he was doing, his eyes finding amir's staring him down in open challenge, his own narrowed.

"She's already been compromised, she's injured, she will slow us down and they will find us, so I say we leave her."

"You do not seem to understand, that time I was not asking, I will go for her."

Joshim straightened his back in anticipation for a fight, if it came to that, the air had changed around them as they both fought for dominance over the other.

"And how is it exactly you plan to get to her? There is only one jeep."

"Guess." Joshim's expression hardened as he watched Amir raise his gun to his face.

"You are sentencing our brothers to their deaths, if I do not get to them in time they also will be found and slaughtered, is that what you want?"

"It is no different than you sentencing Ziva to hers."

"You fool, I told you this would get you killed. Neither myself nor the director will forget this."

"Even so, I must still go, I made a promise I intend to keep."